Silicon large-scale integrated circuits, among other device technologies, are increasing in use in order to provide support for the advanced information society of the future. An integrated circuit can be composed of respective semiconductor devices, such as transistors or the like, which can be produced according to a variety of techniques. By way of example, high-performance semiconductor devices can be fabricated using photolithography. In the process of photolithography, a mask pattern is transferred via light to a light-sensitive photoresist material on a semiconductor device substrate. Subsequently, techniques such as chemical treatments are utilized to engrave the transferred pattern into the material beneath the photoresist (e.g., by removing material on the substrate not located under the photoresist).
As semiconductor device features have become smaller and more advanced, conventional patterning techniques utilized in connection with photolithography have been limited in their ability to produce finely defined features, such as trenches or the like. Accordingly, to enhance the ability of existing semiconductor device fabrication techniques to create the smaller features demanded by high-performance devices, patterning techniques such as double patterning, tone-inversion patterning, or the like can be utilized. However, such patterning schemes can in some cases be ineffective at accurately recreating a desired feature set. Further, such patterning schemes can be susceptible to cracking, delamination, and/or other manufacturing defects. Accordingly, it would be desirable to implement techniques for producing semiconductor devices with features of varying sizes with minimal potential for defects in fabrication.